Vibrating sorter for soiled tableware

ABSTRACT

A construction for handling soiled tableware so that the tableware can be automatically sorted prior to placement into holders used for supporting the tableware as it passes through a dishwashing machine. A vibrating conveyor is provided for receiving the tableware, and a barrier extends across the conveyor bed to separate flatware comprising plates and silverware from pieces of greater height such as cups and glasses. The separated tableware is delivered along separate paths to the end of the vibrating bed for placement in appropriate racks or other dishwashing equipment holding means. The flatware is divided by providing slots in a corrugated section of the bed so that the silverware is collected apart from plates. Means are also provided for separating soiled dishes from cafeteria trays where the dishes are initially delivered on such trays.

United States Patent [19 Ettlinger, Jr. et al.

[ VIBRATING SORTER FOR SOILED TABLEWARE [75] Inventors: Ralph Ettlinger,Jr., Highland Park, Walter M. Schneider, Chicago, both of Ill.

[73] Assignee: Avant Industries Inc., Wheeling, Ill.

[22] Filed: Apr. 13, 1971 [21] Appl. No 133,667

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 828,510, May 28,1969, Pat. No.

[52] US. Cl. 193/43 B, 198/33 AA, 209/99,

209/97 [51] Int. Cl. B65g 11/20 [58] Field of Search 209/97, 98, 99,101,

209/90, 75, 85; 134/62; 193/43 B, 43 D; 198/33 AA, 59, 60

[451 June 12, 1973 Nystuen 209/85 Naslund et a]. 209/99 [57] ABSTRACT Aconstruction for handling soiled tableware so that the tableware can beautomatically sorted prior to placement into holders used for supportingthe tableware as it passes through a dishwashing machine. A vibratingconveyor is provided for receiving the tableware, and a barrier extendsacross the conveyor bed to separate flatware comprising plates andsilverware from pieces of greater height such as cups and glasses. Theseparated tableware is delivered along separate paths to the end of thevibrating bed for placement in appropriate racks or other dishwashingequipment holding means. The flatware is divided by providing slots in acorrugated section of the bed so that the silverware is collected apartfrom plates. Means are also provided for [56] References Citedseparating soiled dishes from cafeteria trays where the UNITED STATESPATENTS dishes are initially delivered on such trays. 3,506,118 4/1970Illozzi 209/99 X I 3 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures 3,486,939 12/1969Pinckard 134/62 114\ mZ%3 cups GLASSWARE GARBAGE 8 4 ETC mac/( /,/?,qcA26 slam/ AER 5 4 -45 l as; 1 0/5! was/ 13 RETA DE)? h 83% 2] WATER/JETST;

may WASHER TRAY DPYEI? To TRAY STACKEE K53 s/LvEe I 17 DROP 771'PUREMOVAL OF DOUBLE TRAYS LIGHT mas BLDW DFF Q9, a 15 14 SINGLE ITEMDROP-OFF F/eo/n DIN/ P T TRAYs w/m DIRTY DISHES 3 10 PATENIEB JUN 1 2I973 SHEET 3 OF 4,

PATENIEUJUNI zma SHEET t [If 4 W FIG. ]2

VIBRATING SORTER FOR SOILED TABLEWARE This is a division of my copendingapplication Ser. No. 828,510, filed May 28, 1969, which application wasallowed Mar. 29, 1971, now US. Pat. No. 3,605,767.

This invention relates to a construction for the handling of soiledtableware prior to placement of the tableware in dishwashing equipment.

It is well-known that many institutions, for example, schools andrestaurants, handle large volumes of tableware in providing foodservice. A typical arrangement involves cafeteria style service whereinpersons place tableware including plates, saucers, cups, glasses andsilverware on a cafeteria tray. When the meal is finished, these must becollected in some fashion and prepared for washing.

It is normal practice to separate and then stack or otherwise collectthe various types of tableware. For example, employees will formseparate stacks of cafeteria trays, plates, saucers, cups, etc., and thesame or other personnel will load the stacked pieces onto racks used inautomatic dishwashing equipment or directly onto conveyors provided inthe equipment. This, of course, involves a separate unstacking operationfor articles such as plates, bowls, dishes and saucers.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a system for thehandling of soiled tableware, whereby the tableware can be conveyed inrandom fashion to the separating equipment and thereafter automaticallyseparated so that the only handling involved is the loading of cups andglasses into washing racks and placing said racks and silverware, whichhas been automatically placed in washing cylinders, into the dishwashingmachine.

It is a specific object of this invention to provide a system forhandling soiled tableware which is particularly useful in connectionwith cafeteria operations whereby soiled tableware can first beautomatically separated from cafeteria trays, and whereby the tablewareis then sorted by the equipment to greatly improve the efficiency ofloading into automatic dishwashing equipment.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an arrangementuniquely suitable for the handling of soiled silverware whereby thesilverware can be automatically delivered to baskets for immediatetransfer of the baskets to dishwashing equipment without other handlingrequirements.

These and other objects of this invention will appear hereinafter, andfor purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, specificembodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a tableware handling system characterized bythe features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an alternative arrangement providing an in-linestructure for delivery of tableware to a vibrating conveyor;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view illustrating an alternativearrangement for the separation of tableware from cafeteria trays; 7

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, taken about the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevation illustrating the trayand tableware separation means of FIG. l;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the vibrating bed illustrated inFIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view, taken about the line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken about the line 9-9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a silverware handling unitcharacterized by the features of this invention;

FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating the vibrating conveyor section ofFIG. 10; and,

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view, taken about the line 12-12 of FIG.10.

The construction of this invention generally comprises a vibratingconveyor defining a bed for receiving tableware. The tableware isdeposited on the bed in random fashion and is then separated intoflatware such as plates and silverware and into pieces of greater heightsuch as cups and glasses. This separation is accomplished by barriermeans which are located in spaced relationship relative to the conveyorbed to permit passage of the flatware while directing cups and glassesalong a separate path on the bed.

At the end of the conveyor bed, the flatware is separated by providingmeans permitting passage of silverware through the bed while plates andother flatware are deposited at the end of the conveyor. Dishwashingracks which can be loaded into dishwashing equipment or which areprovided by the equipment itself are preferably situated at the end ofthe vibrating conveyor so that the separated pieces can be immediatelyplaced in a dishwasher.

Where the construction is employed in a cafeteria operation, means areprovided for separating tableware from cafeteria trays. This isaccomplished automatically by dumping the trays in a manner such thatall tableware is removed and deposited on the vibrating conveyor bedwhile the trays are directed to a separate washing station.

The construction illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises one form of the instantinvention. This construction is particularly suitable for cafeteria-typearrangements, and a first conveyor 10 is employed for delivering trays12 from the dining area to the dishwashing area. As will be explained,the system to be described initially provides for separation of soiledtableware from the trays. Accordingly, a gap 14 is provided between theconveyor 10 and a separate conveyor 16 so that any single items oftableware will drop through the gap whereby only trays will move ontothe conveyor 16.

A light trash removal station 15 is located beyond the gap 16. Thisremoval may be effected by air blasts which will dislodge napkins, milkcartons, etc. The next station 17 is provided for removal of trays whichare stacked together. These trays may be manually or automaticallyremoved at this point if the tray dumping means will not handle two ormore trays stacked together.

At the end of the conveyor 16, there is provided a first downwardlyinclined stationary board 18 (also see FIG. 6). The trays 12 are movedonto the board 18, and the leading edge of each tray then engages theend wall 20 of a second downwardly inclined board 22. The momentum ofthe tableware causes the tableware on the trays to be discharged ontothe surface of the board 22. This tableware slides down the board underthe influence of gravity and is eventually deposited on the bed 24 ofvibrating conveyor 26. A brush 28 extends across the end of the board 22to retard the movement of the tableware, particularly if relativelyfragile dishes are being handled.

When a tray is located on the surface of the board 18 in the solid lineposition shown in FIG. 6, the next tray will engage the end of theinclined tray and tilt the tray as shown in dotted lines. A downwardlyextending channel 30 is provided for delivering the empty trays to aseparate conveyor 32. The trays can then be separately directed pasttray washer sprays as shown at 33 and tray dryer and stacker stations.

The soiled tableware deposited on the vibrating conveyor bed 24 is movedfrom left to right along the conveyor bed. To provide initial sorting ofthe tableware, a barrier 34 extends across a portion of the conveyorbed. This barrier defines a bottom edge 36 which is spaced from the bed24 by a sufficient distance to permit the passage of flatware, includingplates and silverware. Articles of greater height such as cups andglasses are restrained by the barrier, and are diverted along a separatepath. This path is defined by an interior wall 38 running parallel toone side wall 40 of the vibrating conveyor. 1

As shown in dotted lines in FIG. 7, the bed 24 may include an inclinedend 23 to insure movement of the tableware along the initial portion ofthe conveyor. Water streams may be applied in this area as a prewash. Aseparating barrier such as the barrier 34 may be located in this areasince the velocity of the tableware will enhance separation.

At the end of the path 42 defined by the walls 38 and 40, there isprovided an unloading station including means for holding cup racks 44and glassware racks 46. The tableware can be manually removed from theconveyor bed at this point and placed directly in the racks, and theracks can then be placed in a dishwasher 48 located at the end of thevibrating conveyor.

The main portion 50 of the conveyor bed terminates in a silverwareseparation section 52. This section includes a plurality of ridges 54having their top edges in the same plane as the conveyor bed 24. Thedepressions defined between the ridges are adapted to receive silverwareas it moves to the end of the conveyor bed. Plates and other flatwarewill, however, move over the top of the ridges and are finally depositedon the inclined end member 56 where they are collected by the moving bed58 of the dishwasher.

The silverware passes through slots 60 defined between the ridges 54. Achute 62 directs the silverware into individual baskets 64 which areheld in an inclined position for automatic filling. A trough 66 may befilled with water or other liquid for pre-soaking of the silverware;however, in any case, the baskets 64 can then be manually loaded in adishwashing machine.

Nozzles 70 are provided in the opposite side wall 72 of the vibratingconveyor for introducing water. A sump 74 is provided adjacent the entryend of the conveyor whereby the water is moved in a direction oppositethe movement of the soiled tableware. This arrangement is a means forremoving some food particles and other garbage, particularly any piecesthat float. A

suitable garbage skimmer may be utilized to remove such pieces from thesurface of the water to avoid the necessity for separating these piecesfrom the tableware at the end of the conveyor.

FIG. 2 illustrates an arrangement employing the same vibrating conveyorconstruction as that shown in FIG. 1. In this instance, however, anin-line system is provided for delivering the soiled tableware to thevibrating conveyor 26. This system includes a separate conveyor 16, afirst downwardly directed support 18, a tray drop chute 30', a seconddownwardly directed support 22, and retarder brush 28'. The systemoperates in the same manner as the system described in FIGS. 1 and 6.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate a further alternative for separatingcafeteria trays from soiled tableware and for transferring the tablewareto a vibrating conveyor 26. In this instance, a separate belt conveyormoves the loaded trays into contact with a deflector bar 82 whichextends at an angle across the end of the belt. This deflector forcesthe loaded trays sideways onto an inclined platform 84. A ledge 86 isformed adjacent the bottom edge of the platform so that the trays arerestrained against movement onto the conveyor 26. The soiled dishes willtumble onto the conveyor when the trays are in this inclined position. Aretarder brush 88 is employed where there is a need to protect thetableware against damage. The platform 84 gradually tapers toward narrowend 90, and this causes the trays to fall back to an original positionwhen the inside edges of the trays move past the deflector 82. The trayscan then be passed by means of a separate conveyor to appropriatecleaning and drying apparatus.

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 illustrate a silverware handling mechanism 90 whichincorporates features similar to those utilized in the end section ofthe vibrating conveyor 26. Thus, the trough 92 is provided with a bedformed of depressions 94- and ridges 96. This combination is provided bycorrugating the bottom wall of the trough; however, ridges can bebuilt-in, for example, as shown in FIG. 8. The trough is supported on astandard vibrator 98, and the vibrating mechanism is such that thesilverware will move from right to left over the bed.

When silverware is loaded in the right-hand end of the construction, thevibrating action will move the silverware toward the discharge end whichis provided with slots 100. A rotating brush 102 may be located adjacentthe loading end to assist in maintaining the silverware in thedepressions 94. Thus, use of a brush, fingers, or similar means willreduce the possibility of silverware piling up if an excessive load isplaced in the construction.

The silverware is adapted to be discharged through the slots through achute 104 and then into collecting basket 106. This basket is located ina trough 108 which may be filled with water 110 to provide a presoak,and the basket is suitable for loading in automatic dishwashingequipment.

Particularly where soiled silverware is being handled, the working endsof the silverware should be exposed at the top of the basket 106 withthe handles at the bottom. This provides for more effectivecleaning inautomatic dishwashing equipment. To accomplish this, the slots 100 aredimensioned so that only the handles of the silverware can pass throughthe slots when the silverware lies flat in the depressions 94.Considering, for exampie, the spoon shown at the top of FIG. 11, thevibrating action will move the working end of the spoon across the slot100; however, the handle of the spoon will fall through when it becomesfree of contact with the bottom of the depression. Since the working endof the spoon is wider than the slot in one position, it may hangtemporarily as shown in FIG. however, the vibrating action will soonturn the spoon sufficiently to cause it to drop onto the chute 104. Withthis arrangement, the working ends of the silverware will enter thebasket in the upright position.

It will be appreciated that the same arrangement for controlling theposition of the silverware is preferred for the section 52 of theconveyor 26. In a typical operation, the conveyor 10, 16 may deliver1,000, 18-inch cafeteria trays per hour to the sorting construction. Asnoted, light garbage may be removed by blow-off means; however, suctiondevices could also be employed for this purpose.

The presence of water in the vibrating conveyor trough will function tocushion the impact of tableware on the conveyor bed. In addition to thepre-washing function already referred to, the water will also serve toreduce noise. Finally, suitable openings may be provided whereby thewater can be induced or forced out along with additional pieces ofgarbage. A garbage skimmer, for example, in the form of an arm sweepingover the water surface, (FIG. 1) may be provided to remove any floatingpieces. Any garbage which is not automatically removed by the meansdescribed can be manually separated adjacent the discharge end of theconstruction. The amount of such garbage is extremely small comparedwith conventional operations.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madein the construction described which provide the characteristics of thisinvention without departing from the spirit thereof particularly asdefined in the following claims.

That which is claimed is:

l. A construction for handling silverware comprising a bed, meansoperatively associated with the bed for vibrating the bed to movesilverware deposited at one end of the bed over the surface of the bedto the other end of the bed, a plurality of ridges situated in spacedapart relationship across said bed, a plurality of depressions formedbetween said ridges, said ridges and depressions extendinglongitudinally over the bed from said one end to said other end of thebed, said bed being divided into a silverware aligning portion at saidone end and a silverware discharge portion at said other end, thesurface of the bed in said aligning portion comprising a supportingsurface to prevent passage of any silverware through the bed in saidaligning portion, means for positioning said silverware within saiddepressions in said aligning portion of the bed whereby all thesilverware is moved in said depressions and is aligned longitudinallyrelative to the bed, slots defined at the bottom of said depressions insaid discharge portion of the bed, said slots being dimensioned topermit the passage through the bed of the handles of the silverware butnot the working ends of the silverware whereby the handles of thesilverware fall through the slots prior to the working ends, and whereinthe vibration of the bedcauses movement of the working ends to turn themsideways to prevent any suspension thereof by the bed whereby theworking ends will also pass through the slots, and means positionedbeneath said bed for receiving the silverware and for delivering thesilverware to holding means.

2. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means forpositioning the silverware in said depressions comprises a rotatingbrush engaging any silverware on said ridges whereby the silverware isforced into the depressions.

3. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vibrating bedcomprises a continuation of a bed provided for sorting tableware priorto passage of the tableware to a dishwashing machine.

1. A construction for handling silverware comprising a bed, meansoperatively associated with the bed for vibrating the bed to movesilverware deposited at one end of the bed over the surface of the bedto the other end of the bed, a plurality of ridges situated in spacedapart relationship across said bed, a plurality of depressions formedbetween said ridges, said ridges and depressions extendinglongitudinally over the bed from said one end to said other end of thebed, said bed being divided into a silverware aligning portion at saidone end and a silverware discharge portion at said other end, thesurface of the bed in said aligning portion comprising a supportingsurface to prevent passage of any silverware through the bed in saidaligning portion, means for positioning said silverware within saiddepressions in said aligning portion of the bed whereby all thesilverware is moved in said depressions and is aligned longitudinallyrelative to the bed, slots defined at the bottom of said depressions insaid discharge portion of the bed, said slots being dimensioned topermit the passage through the bed of the handles of the silverware butnot the working ends of the silverware whereby the handles of thesilverware fall through the slots prior to the working ends, and whereinthe vibration of the bed causes movement of the working ends to turnthem sideways to prevent any suspension thereof by the bed whereby theworking ends will also pass through the slots, and means positionedbeneath said bed for receiving the silverware and for delivering thesilverware to holding means.
 2. A construction in accordance with claim1 wherein said means for positioning the silverware in said depressionscomprises a rotating brush engaging any silverware on said ridgeswhereby the silverware is forced into the depressions.
 3. A constructionin accordance with claim 1 wherein said vibrating bed comprises acontinuation of a bed provided for sorting tableware prior to passage ofthe tableware to a dishwashing machine.